Finishes for early southern rifle

[David R. Pennington]

Progressing slowly on a southern 1760 era walnut stock rifle with a .62 oct. / round barrel. Lock is Chambers Va. rounded plate english style. Lock is about 90% tuned and ready to do cosmetics on it and inlet it.
I'm at the point where I want to think about how to finish the wood and metal. I've never done a walnut stock before. Any suggestions? I want something that looks right for the style and period.
I am also wondering about how to finish the metal. It will be iron mounted and I'm not convinced I want to brown. I plan to hunt with the rifle so I don't want to leave the barrel polished bright. Any suggestions would be welcome.

[David Rase]

David,
When I finish walnut I like to use an oil finish.  I do not stain it or fill it with filler.  I like to use the oil as a filler.  I thin the first couple of coats so it really penetrates deep and then apply numerous coats either steel wooling or wet sanding using the oil.  Some folks will tell you that steel wool will pull the finish out of the pores.  It probably does if you get too aggressive. 
Dave

[David R. Pennington]

Linseed oil? I was thinking along those lines. I like a fairly dark finish. Does the oil darken up the wood well?

[blunderbuss]

Linseed oil mixed with Japan dryer and it will darken .I have a Jaeger that I left in the white and when I shot it I just rubbed alittle fowling on the barrel and other iron parts .It took a while but it browned up real nice .Don't let the rust cake up

Whisker it twice with water when you think your finished sanding and then use steel wool, then the linseed mixed with Japan dryer 

[Dennis Glazener]

Best old time finish that I have used is one Earl Lanning gave me several years ago. He said it was used by many of the old timers, can't vouch for that but I liked it. One of these days I am going to mix up another batch. He said to take 2 parts linseed oil and 1 part turpentine and mix together in an old pot/pan. Find a "few" old corroded lead bullets, the ones that have turned white (lead oxide for drying the mix) and throw them into the pot. Then "simmer" (don't let them boil but just under boiling temperature) for 2-3 hours. Then pour off the mix and let it cool then rub as much of it into the wood as it will take on the first coat. Let dry (overnight) then use your finger to rapidly rub in a second coat, repeat this as long as the wood "takes" the oil.

The only problem I had was that I evidently didn't have enough lead oxide in the mix, it didn't dry well. I solved that by adding a couple of drops of Japan dryer in the approximately 2 quarts that I made. After adding the dryer it was an excellent finish. But no better than Chambers oil finish which I now use.
Dennis

[Dennis Glazener]

Oh, I meant to add that I like using a black filler to fill the grain in walnut. I think it really adds to the finish. I used to have a can of white filler that I would add some dry tempera paint to. I would final sand after raising the grain a few times, then put a light sealer on the wood. Rub the grain filler in then wipe off cross grain. let the filler dry then seal it, then apply whatever finish I wanted to use. Looked great really brought out the grain in walnut.
Dennis

[Acer Saccharum]

i found bits of steel wool in the walnut pores after many coats of Tru Oil, applying oil, letting it cure, and wet sanding with thinned oil. Build up many coats, and wet sand each back down will give you a perfectly filled and smooth finish. Yummy to behold.

They kinda sparkle, but they also *#)*^~ me off. I'd stay away from steel wool and porous woods.

[ironwolf]

  A comercial finish can be had from brownells, and is just like the one Dennis mentioned.  It's called  G-B Linspeed.  Used to be issued in the U.S. Army to maintain the M1 Garand.

  KW

[bgf]

Charcoal blue is probably the most authentic metal finish for that period; rust blue and browning appear to come a little later.  White/bright may be authentic, but I would think it is more for military pieces. 

Snyder posted an excellent example of a matte charcoal blue in this post (3rd picture):
http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=19034.msg179726#msg179726

[Dphariss]

Progressing slowly on a southern 1760 era walnut stock rifle with a .62 oct. / round barrel. Lock is Chambers Va. rounded plate english style. Lock is about 90% tuned and ready to do cosmetics on it and inlet it.
I'm at the point where I want to think about how to finish the wood and metal. I've never done a walnut stock before. Any suggestions? I want something that looks right for the style and period.
I am also wondering about how to finish the metal. It will be iron mounted and I'm not convinced I want to brown. I plan to hunt with the rifle so I don't want to leave the barrel polished bright. Any suggestions would be welcome.

Brown the barrel using a "sharp" 180 or 220 polish as a base. Small steel parts can be heated to give fire blue then coat or dip in oil and burn this off slowly with a propane torch.
Lock plate and cock should be casehardened but not heat blued. I would have it done is colors myself, polish to 400 first. This will give a surface that is near impervious to wear and a faster lock than leaving the plate soft. Heat blue will destroy the desired hardness.

Search for posts on making boiled linseed oil. You can make a far better oil than you can buy. Nor will any staining or painting be needed. Though I have found different brands may require more drier than some others. So its requires testing and then reheating to add drier if needed.  I can't buy the stuff I used to use. Now everyone sells just one brand and it seems to need more driers added.
Properly made this is the best fill/finish for walnut. But to be really good you need a batch you made a year ago so some can be allowed to thicken. Or continue to heat modify about  1/3 to 1/4 of the oil till its to thick to drip. This is fill oil. Top coat oil can be mixed with resins or a modifier like the Grumbachers in the posts. This will make the top coats impervious to water spotting but still very flexible and weather resistant.

Dan

[Dphariss]

  A comercial finish can be had from brownells, and is just like the one Dennis mentioned.  It's called  G-B Linspeed.  Used to be issued in the U.S. Army to maintain the M1 Garand.

  KW

I used to use Linspeed and I have never seen an issue military rifle with the finish this stuff will make it's FAR too shiney (any boiled oil will be unless used very lightly) for a military rifle. The WW-II era Garands were all soaked with RAW linseed oil that will seep from the stock even today.
Linspeed is better than Tru-Oil and thats about as far as I will go.
Its possible Linspeed was used on PARADE or such rifles as used by the Guards at the Tomb of the Unknown but general issue? Too shiny.

Dan

[Daryl]

I personally like True Oil. I find most people don't let the first coat harden long enough and thus the finish never gets to full hardness- the say it's too soft a finish. If the first coat is allowed to harden 2 or 3 days, it usually makes a very nice, hard finish. It's luster/shininess can be cut back with pumice (rottenstone) nicely, or very careful use of 0000 wool.

With True Oil, you can actually make a finish comparable to a Grande Piano's, or like a Belgium Browning. It merely takes time and patience.

[Dphariss]

I personally like True Oil. I find most people don't let the first coat harden long enough and thus the finish never gets to full hardness- the say it's too soft a finish. If the first coat is allowed to harden 2 or 3 days, it usually makes a very nice, hard finish. It's luster/shininess can be cut back with pumice (rottenstone) nicely, or very careful use of 0000 wool.

With True Oil, you can actually make a finish comparable to a Grande Piano's, or like a Belgium Browning. It merely takes time and patience.

This is almost one of those preference things.
Tru-oil is a varnish though I can't recall exactly what Monk told me it was years ago so it will it make a varnish finish.
I always felt it dried too hard and too fast. It has its uses and I always have a bottle in the shop it works for emergency repairs on nicks and such.
I consider it nightmarish for filling American Walnut as sold.
This shows, if nothing else, that what works perfectly for some is a hair puller for others. 
Dan